One motto most NBA reserve players who are not in the game rotation tell themselves daily throughout the season is to “Stay ready.”
They preach that to themselves repeatedly, because they genuinely do not know when their name or number will be called to enter the game.
Rockets reserve center Bruno Fernando has heard his name called only sparingly by head coach Stephen Silas since being traded from Boston to Houston as a salary fill-in at the 2022 trade deadline. On Friday versus Dallas, though, Fernando heard his name loud and clear when Silas asked him to enter the game in the third quarter.
The Rockets were shorthanded in the frontcourt, with Christian Wood (illness) and Jae’Sean Tate (ankle) unavailable. That left only two reserves on the bench, with Alperen Sengun and KJ Martin getting most of the starting minutes — and Sengun was in early foul trouble.
When it seemed as if the game had gotten away, Silas pulled the starters and went with an all-reserve lineup that included Fernando. The third-year center made the most of his opportunity by scoring a career-high 16 points and a season-best 11 rebounds in 23 minutes of play.
When asked if he knew he would get playing time, Fernando said:
As a basketball player, I always expect to play. I always come into the situation expecting to play. We have seen many times where guys are at the end of the bench, and their name is called out of nowhere. I just try and stay professional about it and control what I can control, and when my name is called, I try to take full advantage of the opportunity.
It was one of those nights where I continued to stay locked in mentally, emotionally, and physically and come in and try to do what I can to help the team. I felt like it had been such a long time since I have played basketball and enjoyed the game. Tonight was a night I truly enjoyed.
On Sunday, Houston (17-50) travels to New Orleans (27-40) to face the Pelicans. Center Christian Wood and forward Jae’Sean Tate have been medically cleared to play, which could make it tougher for Fernando to find playing time in the immediate future.
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But if or when his name is called, he pledges to be ready.
